Cyber attacks have hit a host of major U.S. companies and government agencies in recent months, an issue President Obama may address in his State of the Union Tuesday -- and then in an executive order aimed at improving our defenses against them on Wednesday.

Cyber-security no longer means only protecting your computer from ne'er-do-wells. Hackers are cracking codes on all sorts of devices and getting sneaky about breaking into everything from cell phones to car systems.

Just one day after Apple (AAPL) launched its new Mac App Store, pirates say they have found security flaws in the system.
The new download service, launched on Thursday, allows users to download software that has been scrutinized and approved by Apple on to their computers, BBC News reported. Apple hopes that the system will emulate the success of its iPhone App Store.

Microsoft (MSFT) instigated its biggest-ever security fix, releasing software to address problems including a flaw in its Windows operating system and Internet browser that could let hackers take control of a personal computer.
The new software, released Tuesday, will address a range of vulnerabilities, including the Stuxnet virus that attacked an Iranian nuclear power plant, Reuters reported.

India will ask search-engine company Google (GOOG) and Internet phone service Skype to set up servers in the country and give authorities there access to Internet data, Reuters reported.
India is seeking to crack down on Internet security, threatening to ban the use of BlackBerry smartphones if Research In Motion (RIMM) did not allow the government to monitor messages.

In addition to allegedly hacking the big-name Twitter accounts, the 25-year-old who lives with his parents is also believed to have leaked over 300 confidential Twitter documents to TechCrunch, the tech blog.

Within hours of last week's earthquake in Haiti, charities were scrambling to respond to the catastrophe. So too were cyber-criminals, who were looking to exploit unwitting Internet users seeking to donate to the relief effort. It has gotten so bad, the FBI and others have issued warnings to the public.